Town library to host indie folk artist

Fueled by the tune of banjos, trumpets, organs, guitars and his own vocals, singer-songwriter David Berkeley is passionate about changing the world with his music, which he identifies as indie folk with an edge.

Berkeley will perform at Manhattan’s Rockwood Music Hall Saturday and will play a free concert at the South Orange Library on Sunday.

At his Sunday concert, Berkeley will perform songs from his most recent album, “The Fire in My Head,” released this summer. The concert will be at 2 p.m.

Berkeley will also be reading from his book, “140 Goats and a Guitar” at the show. For more information, visit www.sopl.org.

Berkeley said his move to New Mexico inspired his latest album.

“I was taken by the landscape out here and the enormous sky and how dry it is,” Berkeley said. “I use the landscape as metaphor for issues of aging.”

Berkeley’s album is diverse and speaks to the strength of the human race.

For example, “Song for the Road” is about surviving natural disasters, and “Shelter” is about love and commitment.

With each album comes both a sense of accomplishment and motivation to produce another, according to Berkeley. He said each album cycle is a learning experience.

“When you first have sparks of ideas for an album or even just a song, there’s this kind of euphoria and you feel like that creative process can be anything, limitless,” Berkeley said.

“Then there’s sort of a come down. It might not be the greatest song ever written, the greatest album ever written, but it’s still good.”

Although proud of his work, Berkeley said, he doesn’t listen to his albums once they’re done. “The Fire in My Head” is the exception. It’s a vinyl album, and Berkeley said he enjoys hearing his voice from the record player.

Singing and songwriting were not always the path Berkeley had envisioned for himself, but a path he wouldn’t trade.

“There isn’t really much like the feeling of stumbling upon a melody or a lyric you think is true and someone else relates to,” Berkeley said.